krabachtige

Krabachtige is a Dutch term that refers to crustaceans, a highly diverse subphylum within the arthropods that includes crabs, lobsters, shrimp, barnacles, copepods, isopods and many other forms. They are found in almost all aquatic environments—marine, freshwater, and some moist terrestrial habitats—making them a vital part of many ecosystems.

Characteristic features common to many krabachtige include a hard exoskeleton made of chitin often reinforced with minerals, a body typically divided into a head, thorax (often fused with the head as a cephalothorax) and abdomen, and paired appendages that are typically biramous (two-branched). Most possess two pairs of antennae and use gills or specialized respiration surfaces. Molting is common as they grow. Life cycles can be direct or involve larval stages such as nauplius or zoea in many marine species.

The major groups within krabachtige include Malacostraca (the largest class, encompassing crabs, lobsters, shrimp and krill), Branchiopoda (water fleas and brine shrimps), and Maxillopoda (barnacles and copepods), among others. Crustaceans exhibit a wide range of feeding strategies, including detritivory, herbivory, predation and filter feeding. Reproduction is diverse, with most species having separate sexes; fertilization is external in many aquatic forms, while some terrestrial species display internal fertilization.

Ecologically, krabachtige occupy crucial roles as grazers, detritivores and prey, supporting broader food webs. They hold substantial economic importance for fisheries and aquaculture and are frequently studied in biology and ecology. Conservation concerns include overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change, which can impact their distribution and abundance.